SpaceX has showcased its latest spacesuit, designed for the upcoming Polaris Dawn mission, which will mark the first-ever commercial astronaut spacewalk. The suit features enhanced mobility, an advanced helmet with Heads-Up Display (HUD) and camera, innovative thermal management systems, and materials derived from the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. Unlike traditional spacewalk suits, the SpaceX suit lacks a backpack and relies on an umbilical for life support from within the spacecraft.
The Polaris Dawn mission, the first of three human spaceflight missions, is scheduled for launch in mid-2024. Supporting the crew at an altitude of 700 km above Earth, the newly developed Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suit will provide vital aid during the historic first-ever commercial astronaut spacewalk.
During the five-day mission, the crew will conduct SpaceX’s inaugural Extravehicular Activity (EVA) from the Dragon spacecraft, making it the first commercial astronaut spacewalk. This historic event will also be the first instance of four astronauts being exposed to the vacuum of space at the same time.
The EVA suit, an advancement from the current Intra Vehicular Activity (IVA) suit worn aboard Dragon human spaceflight missions, ensures the crew’s safety and functionality in the vacuum of space. The EVA suit has been designed with a focus on mobility, incorporating new materials, fabrication processes, and innovative joint designs to enhance flexibility for astronauts in pressurized scenarios while maintaining comfort in unpressurized situations.
The Polaris Program, announced by Jared Isaacman and SpaceX in February 2022, aims to rapidly advance human spaceflight capabilities while supporting important causes on Earth. The development of the EVA suit and the execution of the spacewalk are crucial steps towards creating a scalable design for spacesuits that can be used on future long-duration missions as humanity expands its presence beyond Earth.
While the Polaris Dawn mission will be the first time the EVA suit is used in low-Earth orbit, its ultimate purpose is to support the construction of a base on the Moon and a city on Mars, which will require millions of spacesuits.
